Match Ratings For WWE Smackdown Live 5/8/18, Podcast Notes From Sean Ross Sapp

Money in the Bank Qualifying Match
The Miz defeated Jeff Hardy
6.25/10

• Paige puts over WWE Backlash. Just let us forget all about it, Paige. 
• I hope to never get into a low blow confrontation. 
• Paige says there will be two Money in the bank matches, and we'll go right into the qualifying matches now.
• Jeff Hardy told the announcers he "feels like a kid again," but certainly doesn't look it in the ring. He's facing The Miz.
• This is really basic, simple work, but the crowd is into it. Jeff Hardy takes the best spot with the barricade clothesline.
• Twist of Fate hits, but Miz gets out of the way. He gets a neckbreaker inside out on the apron.
• This match has gone a really long time, and it's picking up. Hardy does a flip to the outside after a Whisper in the Wind. 
• A sunset flip powerbomb gets two, and it looked great. Twist of Fate and a Swanton, but Miz reverses the pin into a crucifix and wins! 
• This got really, really good as it went on.

Backstage Crappenings

• The Bar is backstage, Sheamus is eating Lucky Charms. Cesaro thinks he can do better against Xavier than Sheamus. They find a whole lot of pancakes in their gear bags.
• Shinsuke Nakamura says he doesn't speak English. He says that AJ Styles is "nuts," but so is he. This is "nut" over. I feel guilty for laughing at this hard.
• Selfie promo of Carmella gloating about her win over Charlotte. She's going to have a celebration. This fit her character really well.
• I don't really mind the selfie promos aside from the weird text. It's a good way to get people's faces on the show without overexposing them. We see Tye Dillinger and Naomi's, as well as ones from Shelton and Asuka. 
• The Bludgeon Brothers have a bunch of torn up toys backstage. This actually is kind of cool.
• AJ Styles agrees that he and Nakamura aren't done and tiptoes around saying "balls."
• Andrade Cien Almas debuts next week.

Money in the Bank Qualifier
Charlotte Flair defeated Peyton Royce (w/ Billie Kay)
3.5/10

• The IIconics come out and troll Charlotte, saying that Charlotte losing made their uncle laugh so hard it cured his stutter.
• This certainly isn't the best worked match. They weren't on the same page, an the strike trade looked especially bad. Peyton Royce's selling of the chops were rough until she bumped off of them. 
• Royce's spinning wheel kick always looks good, but the two neckbreakers in this match — one outside the ring wasn't too hot. Charlotte recently added a plancha to her arsenal, which she hit. 
• Royce got a 2.9 after one of those beautiful wheel kicks thanks to the interference of Billie Kay. Royce is hung up on the ropes after missing another and eats a boot. 
• Why would Charlotte go for the same move that cost her the title? She misses the moonsault and Royce cracks her with a knee.
• A spear connects, but Royce kicks out. The crowd isn't having this. It's over a little later anyway. Figure 8 does it. 
• Charlotte's knee was hurt two nights ago and there was no real indication of that. 

Cesaro (w/ Sheamus) defeated Xavier Woods (w/ New Day)
6/10

• This was exceptional. I wish it'd have went on longer.
• Inverted Infrared from Xavier Woods is a really cool spot. He's very underrated in the ring. Kofi takes out Sheamus at ringside.
• The end came when Xavier went for his ropewalk elbow drop but got caught with a European uppercut. I love that they used that as a finish. Xavier got busted open in the mouth.
• Cesaro jumps into Sheamus' arms.
• The Bar vs. New Day next week. The winning team has a member go to MITB. 

Mandy Rose defeated Becky Lynch

• Paige lets Sonya Deville know she's banned from ringside tonight after Sonya and Mandy declare that Paige isn't their mom.
• They have that NCIS lens on Mandy Rose. This entrance was weird as shit. 
• Mandy connects with a big knee, and then slugs it out with Becky until she eats a Bexploder.
• Mandy Rose rolls up Becky Lynch in about three minutes. Yeah they just did that. 
• That was only Becky Lynch's third one on one TV loss in the last year. Two to Charlotte, and now one to Mandy. The first to Natalya was a full year ago. 

Money in the Bank Qualifying Match
Rusev (w/ Aiden English) defeated Daniel Bryan
6/10

• Bryan starts chopping down Rusev. He gets thrown over the announce table and we go to commercial.
• As we come back, Bryan is hitting the ropes hard into a clothesline. A series of pins leads to a head kick from Rusev.
• Yes Lock applied, but Rusev gets the ropes and gets kicked in the face. Rusev manages a Machka kick and gets the pin!